Of Onigiri and Ochibis
by Neellok
Summary: A third year boy Eiji has never seen glomps HIS Ochibi; he goes postal. Ryoma is not to be shared . . . not even with Oishi.


**Title:** Of Onigiri and Ochibis

**Pairing:** Kikumaru/Girl!Ryoma

**Summary:** A third year boy Eiji has never seen glomps HIS Ochibi; he goes postal. Ryoma is not to be shared . . . not even with Oishi.

Kikumaru Eiji laughed and crowed in victory when the ball soared over the net and smashed into his opponent's court. He loved the thrill of winning a match, especially if it was a doubles match and his partner was Oishi. Eiji gave Oishi a satisfied thumbs up, but frowned when it wasn't returned. What was wrong with Oishi? They'd won the match six games to three. Wasn't Oishi happy?

Eiji had been training with thin air for the past few years and he'd overcome his stamina weakness, so he knew that wasn't the problem. And he hadn't made any mistakes with their formations. Normally, Oishi would have been ecstatic that they had won another match together.

"Ne, Oishi, what's wrong?" Eiji asked as he walked to the other side of the court.

Oishi didn't answer for a second, staring straight ahead. He glanced at Eiji with confusion. "When did Echizen get a boyfriend?"

Eiji's feeling of triumph plummeted like the Moon Volley and sat heavy in his stomach. His heart felt twisted, and started pounding in his chest. What? Eiji didn't want to look. He didn't want to see his Ochibi holding hands with someone else, or maybe… kissing them.

His fingers clenched around his racquet, as Eiji tried to push away the urge to run over there and claim her in front of the stupid _boy _who thought he had permission to date Ryoma. No one had permission to date her, other than himself. Eiji'd decided that a few months ago, and he never went back on a promise to himself. Ryoma would be his. Right?

Ryoma let him hug her. No matter how many times he ran up to her and glomped her, she never once ordered him to stop. That meant she liked him, right? Eiji stared at Oishi, feelings bursting to break free. Right, Oishi? Ryoma was his.

Eiji braced himself and finally looked in the direction Oishi and been staring. He wanted to tell himself that it was a dream. That she—Ryoma—his Ochibi wasn't being hugged just outside the girls' tennis courts, but he couldn't. His eyes zeroed in on a boy who had his arms wrapped around Ryoma's waist, and wouldn't leave.

Eiji was scared that if he stared long enough the image would forever be burned into his mind. That all he would be able to see when he looked at her was that boy—because there was no way Eiji would call him a man—wrapped around her like an octopus. Who was he? He wasn't someone Eiji recognized, and that more than anything pissed Eiji off. Some stranger was cuddling his Ochibi!

Was she smiling? Had her eyes softened to look like honey? Was she happy? Eiji couldn't tell from this far away and he hated and loved it at the same time. He didn't know if he could handle seeing her happy with someone who wasn't him. Eiji wouldn't. The desire to steal her away became stronger the more he stared at her.

"Oh, is that Echizen's boyfriend?"

Eiji growled and glared at Momoshiro. No! Because she belonged to Eiji, and only Eiji. Eiji grinned when Momoshiro paled and gulped, and moved to the other side of Oishi.

"Idiot. She would have told us," Kaidoh said, sneering at Momoshiro.

"I don't know about that," Fuji said, smiling as he joined the group. "Would you tell us? We are overprotective of our Echizen."

Eiji snorted. It was rather cute how Fuji tried to pretend that he owned part of Ryoma. And Eiji wondered when Fuji would realize that he never had, and never would.

Momoshiro laughed. "That's true."

"Hey, it's that guy again!" Horio exclaimed, dramatically pointing a finger.

Eiji would have rolled his eyes if the situation hadn't been so serious. Sometimes he wondered if Horio should have joined the drama club instead of the tennis club. Horio seemed to do so much better when he had an audience.

"What do you mean again, Horio-kun?" Momoshiro asked.

"Ah, that guy's been following Echizen around for the past few days. He keeps asking her if she'll go out with him. He confessed to her before lunch, again, today. That'd been the—"

"Fourth time." Kachiro interjected. He flinched at the dark look Eiji gave him and hid behind Momoshiro.

"The probability that Echizen will say yes to a date: 0%," Inui stated, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Eiji wanted to laugh and mock the boy. Inui was never wrong. Ryoma wouldn't accept a date from that creepy stalker guy. And then maybe—

"Oh, you know who he is, Inui-senpai?" Kaidoh asked.

Momoshiro laughed mockingly. "Of course he does, Viper. He's Inui-senpai."

Kaidoh growled. "What did you say, idiot? You wanna go?"

Oishi sighed and pushed them apart. "Calm down you two."

Eiji bit his lip to keep from snapping at them. He knew that they were hot-headed, but he wanted to know who that boy was so he could go—do something. Eiji needed to show him that Ryoma was his! And if Momoshiro and Kaidoh kept interrupting Inui he was going to use the Kikumaru Beam on them.

"What's his name?" Eiji asked, voice strangely monotone. He disregarded all of the heads that swung his way. Eiji knew he sounded weird, but he knew that if he didn't keep his emotions in check then he'd never get his answers.

"Kikumaru-senpai, are you feeling okay?"

Eiji didn't bother to answer, even though he knew it was rude. "What's his name?"

Inui stared at Kikumaru for a few seconds. "I don't know."

Momoshiro started to laugh. "Really, Inui-senpai… you… really?"

Inui nodded. "He was so insignificant that there wasn't any reason for me to gather any data on him. I only know that he is a third year and in Kikumaru's class."

Eiji froze at the words. That jerk was in his class? How had Eiji never noticed him all this time? How many times had Eiji not paid attention to his classmates, because he was thinking about Ryoma, or tennis, or what brand of toothpaste he wanted to buy next? Eiji ran a hand through his hair and gave a sharp tug. This was so annoying! Forget it! He was just going to go over there and claim her! No more waiting!

"Yamagiri Takaya," Horio blurted out.

"What?"

Horio's chest puffed up as everyone turned their attention on him. "I said his name is Yamagiri Takaya. I'm in the same class as Echizen, and for the past two days he's come to our room and confessed to her before lunch. It was rather weird…"

Eiji waited for him to continue, but when he still stayed silent Eiji growled in frustration. "What was weird?" Why was everyone staring at him now? Didn't they care that Ryoma had a creepy stalker?

Horio gulped. "Uh, he'd ask her out by saying his name and then he'd say: I have two years of dating experience."

Momoshiro snickered. "Are you two related?"

Horio blinked with confusion. "No. Why?"

Momoshiro just laughed harder, his face turned red and he grabbed onto Kaidoh for support so he wouldn't fall over.

Eiji spun around when Fuji said, "It doesn't look like everything is going well for him, does it?" and looked back at the girls' tennis courts and almost smiled.

"Of course not. Echizen would never date someone who didn't play tennis, right Eiji?" Oishi said, nudging Eiji with his shoulder.

Eiji's eyes narrowed on his best friend, wondering what he meant. Had Ryoma told Oishi something? His bad mood started to fade at that thought. Had Ryoma asked about him? Maybe she liked him too! Eiji turned hopeful eyes to Ryoma as she stalked away from the Onigiri guy and headed toward them.

Eiji didn't hesitate to run and glomp her, even though he knew that she was already annoyed. He didn't want to piss her off, but sometimes he knew that people needed a hug, and Ryoma was no exception. Besides, she had never told him he couldn't hug her.

Ryoma stumbled as his weight crashed into her. Eiji's arms wrapped tightly around her, and he grinned when her tense shoulders slumped. Eiji's eyes effortlessly found the boy that had had his arms around Ryoma a minute ago and smirked at his annoyed expression. That's right, Onigiri, Ryoma was his!

"Kikumaru-senpai, that hurts."

Eiji blinked at Ryoma in surprise and loosened his grip on her, but not completely. He didn't want to let Ryoma out of his sight again! Eiji smiled down at her. He knew he hadn't hurt her. Ryoma always said that when he hugged her.

In the beginning of their friendship, he'd been truly worried that he'd hurt Ryoma and hadn't glomped her for weeks. One day after school, she'd asked to speak to him and said that if he didn't start acting normal again she'd stop hanging around him. Eiji had panicked and grabbed onto her as tight as he could. Ryoma hadn't protested.

"Ochibi, what did Onigiri want?" Eiji asked, pretending he hadn't been watching the whole time.

Ryoma tilted her head back until it rested against his shoulder, and smirked as if she knew what he was thinking. "Who?"

Eiji glared at the typical response. Eiji knew that Ryoma wasn't that great at remembering names unless the person was important to her, whether it was a tennis rival or a friend.

Fuji smiled slyly at Eiji. "Saa, don't you mean Yamagiri, Kikumaru?"

Eiji sniffed. "That's what I said."

"Ah, him. He wanted to go on a date. I said no," Ryoma said, eyes flashing with annoyance.

"What did he do?" Eiji demanded, completely focused on Ryoma. Ryoma had a good handle on her anger, and almost never got angry off the court. That stupid boy had to have done something, and he'd ask and ask until she told him, and then Eiji would decide a fitting punishment.

Ryoma scowled. "He glomped me."

Momoshiro laughed incredulously. "He what? You're mad that he glomped you? But Kikumaru-senpai glomps you all the time—What? What did I say?"

Ryoma smirked at her best friend. "You still have much more to work on."

Eiji's heart started pounding in his chest at Ryoma's answer. Did that mean—? Eiji released his hold on Ryoma and whirled her around. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. He needed to see her answer.

"Ochibi?"

A small smile graced her features as she stared at Eiji. "The only one who can glomp me is Kikumaru-senpai."

The monster that had been raging in his heart died at those words and the look of love in her eyes. She wanted to be with him! Him! Kikumaru Eiji, not some random guy named after a riceball. Eiji grinned and pulled her into another hug, finally satisfied that she was where she belonged—by his side and in his arms.


End file.
